Phil Boyle

Philip M. “Phil” Boyle (born July 21, 1961) is the Senator from New York's Fourth District.

Phil Boyle
Member of the New York State Senate from the 4th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2013
Preceded by	Owen H. Johnson
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 8th district
In office February 2006 – December 31, 2012
Preceded by	Thomas F. Barraga
Succeeded by	Michael J. Fitzpatrick
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 8th district
In office February 15, 1994 – December 31, 2002
Preceded by	John C. Cochrane
Succeeded by	Thomas F. Barraga
Personal details
Born	July 21, 1961 Bay Shore, New York
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Victoria Ryan
Residence	Bayshore, New York[1]
Alma mater	UNC at Chapel Hill SUNY at Albany Albany Law School
Profession	Lawyer
Website	Official senate site

Education and career

Boyle was born in Compton in Bayshore, New York, and grew up in East Islip. He attended the State University of New York at Geneseo, and transferred to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. He went to Albany Law School where he got his law degree. He also got a Master's in Public Administration from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the SUNY at Albany.

Boyle served several years on Capitol Hill as a senior congressional aide. He was the legislative director to Frank Horton (R-Rochester) and a campaign manager and chief of staff for Rick Lazio (R-Brightwaters).

New York legislature

In 1994, Boyle was elected to the New York State Assembly as a representative of the 8th Assembly District, which encompassed portions of the Suffolk County towns of Islip and Babylon. In his biography, he "was considered one of the most fiscally conservative members of that body while also consistently maintaining one of the Assembly's highest pro-environment voting records."^[1]

Phil was elected to the New York State Senate in November 2012.^[1] "The Bay Shore Republican arrives at the State Senate on Jan. 1, after edging Democrat Rick Montano in a contest to succeed retiring Sen. Owen Johnson. The 4th District, slightly altered by redistricting this year, runs mainly along the South Shore from West Babylon to Islip, then runs northeast to Holbrook." ^[2] He currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, Chairman of the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, as well as a member of the Senate Standing Committees on Housing, Construction and Community Development; Commerce, Economic Development, and Small Business; Codes; Local Government; Racing, Gaming and Wagering; and Consumer Protection.^[3]

Due to the rising usage of Heroin and Opioids across the state of New York, the New York State Senate Majority Coalition created the Joint Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opiate Addiction. The task force was created in April 2014 and is chaired by Senator Boyle. The committee looks at the issues surrounding the increase in usage and addiction of heroin and opioids as well as drug related crimes.

Over the course of nine weeks, the Task Force travelled across the State of New York to conduct 18 forums that brought together experts and concerned New Yorkers. The forums allowed opportunities for not only law enforcement officials and treatment and medical professionals to voice their concerns on the growing issue of Heroin and Opioid usage and how to deal with the problems associated with it, but also for recovering addicts and families to share their stories about how Heroin and Opiate addiction has impacted their lives.

During the forums, local officials and those in attendance discussed different methods of combating the ongoing issue including preventing the overall usage of heroin and opioids through better education, better the recovery process by giving individuals more varieties of treatment models, and providing additional resources to law enforcement.

On April 8, 2014, the Long Island Regional Forum was conducted in the Van Norstrand Theater at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood, New York. Members of the Task Force present include Senators Boyle, John Flanagan, Senator Kemp Hannon, Senator Carl Marcellino, and Senator Jack Martins. The Forum featured 17 speakers including parents of addicts, law enforcement officials, directors of recovery centers, and medical professionals to discuss the impact of heroin and opioid addiction on Long Island, an area that includes Boyle’s district of representation.^[4]

As a result of their travels, the Task Force collected over 50 hours of testimony to bring forth to the Senate. Further, the Task Force developed 25 pieces of legislation for the Senate to consider during the 2014 legislative Session. Out of the 25 pieces proposed, 23 were passed.^[5]

Other work

Boyle was a founding partner in the law firm of Steinberg & Boyle, LLP, located in East Islip, New York and he is now an attorney with the tax certiorari law firm of Cronin, Cronin, Harris and O'Brien, P.C., headquartered in Uniondale, New York.

Personal life

Boyle and his wife, Victoria Ryan, reside in Bay Shore with their toy fox terrier, Livvy. Boyle is the proud stepfather to Patrick and Sarah Ryan.^[1]

Actively involved in his community, Senator Boyle serves as a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Sierra Club, as well as an active volunteer firefighter and former Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with the Great River Fire Department.^[1]

References

1. "New York State Senator Phil Boyle(R) 4th Senate District". New York State Senate. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
2. "'LI Nine' rookie Phil Boyle a 'pro' to Albany". Newsday. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
3. "New York State Senate Committees". New York State Senate. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
4. "Task Force Report" (PDF). New York State Senate. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
5. "SENATE PASSES BILLS RECOMMENDED BY HEROIN TASK FORCE". New York State Senate. Retrieved July 23, 2014.

External links

• Official website
• Sponsered Legislation
• Sponsered Resolutions